


Fetch!

by memefucker69



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Hybrids, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-18
Updated: 2015-03-18
Packaged: 2018-03-18 09:54:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3565352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/memefucker69/pseuds/memefucker69
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kyungsoo is a policeman and Jongin is his police dog. Together they fight crime and get bad guys.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fetch!

**Author's Note:**

> co-written by amputeekun (memefucker69) & thatweirdo @aff

"Kyungsoo!" A loud voice booms from the other side of the room, making Kyungsoo jerk. He'd been focused on the screen, digesting some important statistics, and didn't appreciate being torn from his duty, even if it was the boss calling his name. Still, in order to not lose his job, he puts on his small-talk face and strides confidently to where the chief is waiting for him, just outside the door. He walks briskly up the stairs to his office, a place where lower level police officers rarely go.

Chief Wu waves him inside genially, in fact he looks unusually happy. The stress of his job is a main contributing factor to his eyebrows, which usually overshadow his entire face. This lack of anger in his usually quite intimidating face abates any ideas he might have had about being fired, or suspended for anything. Not that he'd done anything worth suspending him over. There was just that one time when he'd accidentally poured half of the sugar into the sink, but that wasn't really his fault and no one even knew it was him.

"Take a seat," Chief Wu instructs, walking around to the other side of his desk, littered with files and papers. Kyungsoo wonders how he keeps track of it all, without losing his mind.

Chief Wu sits down with a small  _whump_ (he's been on the job for years, and he's getting on a bit now).

"As we both well know," he starts, after clearing his throat loudly, "very soon your time as probational officer will be up, and you will officially become Police Constable Kyungsoo." 

Kyungsoo smiles, a certain measure of pride welling up inside him. He's been here for nearly two years now, gradually gaining enough experience under the guidance of the superior officers. At first he hadn't been sure whether he'd wanted to go through with this course of action, but now he's here; he can't really think of doing anything less.

"The reason I called you in here today, son, is to inform you that the government gave us a grant at the start of the year and if you like, with it, we can help you pay for your very own hybrid partner," Chief Wu finishes with a flourish of paper. Kyungsoo can't contain his glee; he's been saving and saving up so he can afford one, but he still wasn't there, and he wouldn't have been for maybe another year; but with this, he can adopt one immediately.

"Are you sure?" Kyungsoo asks, wanting to be absolutely positive they can afford it, "there aren't other things you should spend it on?" Chief Wu laughs, throaty and so loud people outside can hear him,

"We took a vote last Tuesday when you were off. Everyone agrees that you should get one as soon as possible,"

-

Kyungsoo blocks his eyes from the low winter sun as he meanders up the hill towards the adoption centre, an old building constructed with rocks quarried from the hills he lives on almost a century ago. The adoption centre has a small front, but corridors and that go on forever and what felt like endless, endless rooms. He'd been here on a school trip back when he was in primary school, and played with some of the cat hybrids.

He opens the glass door, and strolls inside, smiling at the person manning the reception, a middle aged woman with badly dyed red hair and a charming smile.

"Hello, what can we do for you? Are you here to look at the hybrids?"

"Yes, I'd like to adopt one. A dog hybrid." Kyungsoo tries to sound confident, but he's never been into this building by himself, and he's at a bit of a loss as to what he should do. Does he just waltz in and demand one? That doesn't sound right, or fair. The receptionist squints at him, taking note of the badge he technically shouldn't be wearing since he's off duty right now.

"Are you Do Kyungsoo?" He nods, "Ah, Chief Wu told me to expect you soon!" She grins and beckons him over, "Ok, the way this works is: one of our staff will take you to visit some of the dog hybrids that live here, ones with traits compatible with your line of work, and then we'll see if any of you get along. If you make a connection with any of them, then we'll arrange a second meeting, and if  _that_ goes well, we can start arranging paperwork and living arrangements, sound good?"

Kyungsoo nods eagerly, so excited he's almost bouncing on his heels. He has always dreamed of having his own hybrid as his companion--not only at work, but at home as well. He has lived alone ever since he graduated the police academy with only occasional visits from his parents or brother. He has friends, if the people working at the police department and the few friends he kept in touch with after high school count. He had thought of getting maybe a cat or something to keep him company as his apartment, but having an  _actual person_ to converse with would be ideal.

He's a dog person anyways. 

A door opens, revealing another employee with a bright expression and a eager spring in his gait. His name tag reads "Baekhyun" and Kyungsoo assumes that he is the member that will take him to meet some of the hybrids.

"Right this way, sir," Baekhyun chirps and he follows him through a door to the right. It leads them both down a long winding hallway, branching off into different sections of the adoption centre. They pass many individual rooms, all belonging to different hybrids, their names stamped on the doors, along with their breed and age. Most of the lights in the rooms are off and Kyungsoo assumes that they probably only use their rooms to sleep or for private time.

"How many dog hybrids do you have?" Kyungsoo decides to make idle small talk, too overjoyed for silence.

"Quite a lot actually," the employee replies politely with an ultrawhite smile. "They aren't as popular as some of the other hybrids, you see. The younger ones--the puppies--usually get homes pretty quickly, but the older ones are usually stuck here or are taken in by the police force. Cat hybrids seem to be the most popular, but they aren't very good--for your line of work, I mean." He snickers. "Most of the of-age dog hybrids are outside playing in the back, but some of them don't like the cold too much, so they stay in here." Baekhyun gestures to the door in front of him briefly before opening it and motioning for Kyungsoo to step inside.

He enters, finding himself inside a cross between a lounge and a games room, equipped with multiple comfy sofas and beanbag chairs, soft carpeting, multiple T.Vs attatched to the wall and game stations, among other things for the hybrids to amuse themselves with. There were only a few hybrids inside. Two dog hybrids that were aggressively playing some first-person shooter game, shoving each other and laughing, a rabbit hybrid reading a book in the corner, curled up on one of the beanbag chairs, and five female cat hybrids that were chatting amongst themselves and painting each other's nails, the acrid scent of nail polish remover wafting through the air and making Kyungsoo wrinkle his nose

"That's Chanyeol and Jongdae, Chanyeol is a doberman hybrid and Jongdae is a german shepherd hybrid."

"Oh. Cool," That means almost nothing to Kyungsoo; he assumes its a breed or something.

"Chanyeol, Jongdae," Baekhyun calls and the two dog hybrids turn to him with excited faces and wagging tails, but once they spot Kyungsoo they pause and cock their heads in curiosity. Baekhyun places a hand on Kyungsoo's shoulder with a smile. "This is Kyungsoo. He's a police officer, and he's here to choose one of you to be his partner--where's Jongin?"

The game is paused as both of the hybrids turn to face them. "He's sleeping...again," the shorter of the two males answers, puffing out his cheeks. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo both lean forward and crane their necks, the latter just barely being able to spot curls of chocolate brown hair peeking out from a sea of blankets and pillows upon the large couch that faced the T.V Chanyeol and Jongdae are playing on.

"I tried to get him to play with us, but he gets scared of the noises, says they hurt his ears," the other hybrid says. "He's been sleeping since noon and it's, like, two o'clock now."

"He's a lazy weenie to be honest."

"Okay, okay," Baekhyun snorts before pushing Kyungsoo forward a bit. "Kyungsoo can play with you. Be nice to him and you guys can be friends." He then leans closer to Kyungsoo to whisper a few words in his ear, too low for the hybrids too hear. "I'll be across the hall if you need anything. They're all eligible to become your partner, and all perfectly qualified to work with you, so I'd suggest to just choose whoever you can best connect with. They're all really friendly, so don't get too worried or nervous."

Kyungsoo says thanks to the worker, throwing in a polite smile and bow, and then Baekhyun is disappearing out the door, closing it behind him and leaving Kyungsoo alone with the hybrids. His cheeks flame red (he's not good at socializing when he's not at work), and walks towards the two hybrids shyly. The taller one with raven hair and large pointed ears smiles at him, patting the space on the floor beside him, and Kyungsoo sits, grateful for the invitation. "So...what're your names again?" he asks. He remembers their names; he just doesn't know who is who.

The shorter hybrid raises his hand enthusiastically, thumb catching on the sleeve of his sweatshirt as he does so. "I'm Jongdae!"

"Chanyeol," the taller one voices with a wide and ecstatic grin. "It's nice to meet you, Kyungsoo!"

"Nice to meet you too," he greets. "How old are you two?"

"We're both twenty," Jongdae answers, and Kyungsoo resists the urge to gawk. Not that the conditions of the adoption centre were terrible, but to still be there when you're  _twenty_? 

"Jongin's only eighteen though," Chanyeol adds, forking a thumb in the direction of the couch. Jongdae then moves to dig in one of the bins beside the T.V., thin-haired tail wagging as he did so, retrieving another remote control and plugging it into the playstation.

He hands it to Kyungsoo with a somehow feline grin. "Enough chatting, let's play!"

"I've never played this before," Kyungsoo confesses, rubbing at the back of his neck sheepishly.

Jongdae and Chanyeol try to teach him but to no avail. The two dog hybrids end up snatching the controller from his hands after about twenty failed attempts of them completing a simple mission. Kyungsoo settles for just watching them play, giving them commentary every now and then and just asking them questions and getting to learn about the two. After a while, Jongdae and Chanyeol drift into their own conversation, and Kyungsoo moves to lean back against the couch as he watches them playfight as they shoot at each other onscreen. 

He hears a small yip right next to his ear, causing him to jump slightly. He looks behind him. This time, he can actually see the slumbering hybrid, Jongin, the blankets twisted around his fists as he shifts in his sleep, puppy-like whines escaping his throat. At one point, the dog hybrid shifts himself so much that the sheets slide away from his face.

Kyungsoo resists the urge to coo at the sight. Jongin is simply  _adorable_. With floppy brown ears half-hidden by his curly hair and pouty lips and furrowed brows, he really resembles a puppy in Kyungsoo's eyes. Without even thinking at all, the older man shifts an arm over the couch and gently runs his fingers through Jongin's curled hair, petting him. The dog hybrid hums into his touch, pressing his cheek against the heel of Kyungsoo's palm. The human smiles happily, liking the feeling of Jongin's soft hair against his fingertips.

His heart nearly stops, however, when Jongin's eyes flutter open, dazed and slowly focusing on Kyungsoo's face. The officer pauses his movements, unsure of what to say. Jongin surprises him again by closing his eyes. "Feels nice," he mumbles tiredly, letting out a quiet sigh. 

Kyungsoo can't stop himself from smiling, moving his hand to rub at the brown floppy ears nestled in Jongin's hair, feeling the silky, soft fur between his fingertips. Jongin exhales and hums, almost like a cat, toes curling beneath the plush blanket at his feet. "You're name is Jongin, right?" Kyungsoo murmurs, not wanting to speak too loudly, seeing how lethargic Jongin is acting.

The hybrid nods, opening his eyes again. "Who are you?" he asks in turn.

"I'm Kyungsoo. I came to choose one of you to be my police dog of sorts," Kyungsoo answers honestly. Jongin's eyes go wide and an audible thumping noise appears as his tail begins to wag, hitting the couch cushions and tossing around the blanket over his waist. In a quick movement, the younger male shoots up, startling Kyungsoo. Jongin grasps at the officer's shoulders with an excited grin on his lips and begging eyes, something that Kyungsoo found hard to resist.

"Pick me," Jongin pleaded, eyes staring straight into Kyungsoo's, "take me with you, Kyungsoo."

"Jongin, this is very sudden. I don't know if--!"

"I'm a beagle, Kyungsoo. I'm the perfect choice." Catching the confused look in the older man's eyes, Jongin explained further. "I'm really smart--unlike those two--and I have a exceptional sense of smell. Not going to brag, but I'm also pretty fast."

"Hmm," Kyungsoo squints at him. 

"Pleeaase?" Jongin wheedles, fluttering his eyelashes- a move Kyungsoo thought only happened in cartoons.

"I'll think about it," Kyungsoo presses one finger to his lips, "I think I just need some kind of proof,"

" _Oh_! I know, I know, I'll race those two! It'll be great!" Jongin is literally bouncing up and down in his seat now, and his tail is thumping loudly against the cushion behind him. Kyungsoo isn't sure whether he's more excited at the prospect of behind taken home with him or at the race.

"I am  _not_ racing you!" Chanyeol pauses their game to declare. Jongdae nods rapidly in agreement,

"You'll win by miles, it's not fair," Jongdae complains, 

"But that's the only thing you're better than us at," Chanyeol faces Kyungsoo, "he's the fastest, but I have the best sense of smell and Jongdae has the best control. Which is surprising since he's usually the loudest," Jongdae shoves him over,

"That's not true, everyone knows you're the loudest," he argues,

"See? He's started shouting at me already!" Chanyeol laughs, fending off playful punches from the shorter hybrid.

"Shut up!" Jongdae really does shout this time,

"See?  _See?_ " Chanyeol is pushed to the floor again, and they're fighting before Kyungsoo can stop them. He feels like he should stop them, whether that's because he's a police officer or because it's just in his nature to dislike conflict, so he extends an arm to get in between them, but a hand on his shoulder stops him from going any closer.

"Don't worry about them, they're always like that. I'm just impressed they managed to hold out this long. They love each other but they're constantly at each other's throats, so they must've been on their best behaviour for you before I woke up," he informs him, keeping quiet so the two play fighting on the floor don't hear him.

"Oh," Kyungsoo still watches them warily, just in case one of them accidentally takes it too far and they get hurt.

"This is another reason you should pick me over them: I don't think they'd survive long without each other." Jongin chuckles and slips off the sofa so he's sat next to Kyungsoo on the floor. Kyungsoo sighs, thoughts muddled. He  _is_ leaning towards picking Jongin at the moment. Why wouldn't he? He's cute, friendly, and they already get along, plus he's fast and god knows Kyungsoo isn't.

"I'll think about it," Kyungsoo replies dimplomatically. Jongin nods and smiles to himself fidgeting slightly. 

Eventually the comedy duo stop squabbling and peel away from one another. When they see Jongin and Kyungsoo sat so close, their faces both drop simoultaneously, and Jongdae glares at Jongin, who shrugs. Kyungsoo doesn't understand what just happened, but Jongin's tail is wagging again, unable to move trapped between him and the sofa, so he guesses it's a good thing?

"You're going to pick Jongin, aren't you?" Chanyeol accuses, "He's awake  _and_ off the sofa for you. That means he likes you. Lucky," Chanyeol squints at Jongin, who has the decency to look a little embarrassed. All Kyungsoo can say is, "Uhh."

Luckly at that point, the door flies open and a bunch of other dog hybrids pile into the room, falling over one another and making a lot of noise. The cat hybrids sat on the other side of the room roll their eyes and get up to leave, avoiding having to touch the boistrous canines to the best of their ability. Kyungsoo feels a little apprehensive himself- three hybrids he could deal with, but twenty? 

One of them vaults over the sofa and lands on the cushions with a loud  _whump_ that would surely have hurt Jongin if he were still asleep. 

"Who's this?" A deep feminine voice questions, far too close to Kyungsoo's ear for comfort. He turns around so fast he hurts his neck, and finds a brown-haired girl with ears with fur fanning out over the side of her head like wings, She notices him looking and grins,

"I'm a papillon," she says by way of explanation, "my name is Krystal. Who are you?" she leers at him, her face barely inches away from him. A tug on his arm has him toppling backwards into Jongin's chest, but thankfully away from the new girl, but he doesn't think he's ever felt this manhandled in his life. Although out of the frying pan and into the fire, he's slightly more comfortable with Jongin now than this Krystal. 

"Leave Kyungsoo alone, Krystal,"

"Don't be mean to Krystal!" Another girl butts in, sitting down next to the first one. Kyungsoo is beginnning to feel overwhelmed, and then three more girls show up, and a couple more guys sit next to Chanyeol and Jongdae. Kyungsoo's eyes dart between all of them as they introduce themselves, but he forgets their names instantly.

They all start talking at once, and Kyungsoo is in way over his head here. He's grateful when Baekhyun barges past everyone and helps Kyungsoo up, leading him out into the corridor, prying Jongin off him before shutting the door in his face. He feels a bit bad for him, but better to be out of there. The police headquarters can be noisy at times, but not that often, and even then, nowhere near as loud as that.

"Sorry about that," Baekhyun seems genuinely concerned, "they didn't swamp you too bad did they? I noticed Jongin was being very clingy." He chuckles, holding open a door to what looks like a tiny office, and tells him to sit in one of the chairs.

"So," Baekhyun begins, putting on a pair of thick rimmed glasses, "did you connect with anyone?" He looks up with a knowing smirk, "Jongin perhaps?"

Kyungsoo clears his throat and examines the generic painting of a river on the wall, "yes, Jongin is. I liked him."

"Good. He's not usually very good at attracting people, so I'm glad you two got along well. He'd be a great partner for you. Would you like to arrange a second meeting?"

"Um, yes please,"

"How's next monday?"

-

Three days later, Kyungsoo finds himself back in the reception of the adoption centre, and smiling wanly at the lady who works there. She rings someone- Baekhyun presumably- on the ancient white phone (it has a curly wire) and stares at the door expectantly. Not two minutes later, Baekhyun opens the door and tilts his head in an invitation for him come through.

"There's a few rooms we use for these meetings, away from the lounge, so you won't be bothered by the others. Jongin has a few questions he needs to ask, and then if you both agree, we'll start getting the paperwork done. If all goes well he should be able to move in by the end of the week," 

"Ok," Kyungsoo hurries to keep up with Baekhyun, striding down the hall with impressive speed. Kyungsoo wasn't kidding when he said he's not fast.

"In here," Baekhyun stands in front of a door with a sign saying 'do not enter' on it. Kyungsoo gives him a look, one that says, are you sure? But Baekhyun just ushers him inside and shuts the door behind him. He wonders if he's always like that, brusque and a little pushy, but before he gets a chance to even glare at the space Baekhyun would be behind the door, he hears a familliar voice resound from behind him,

"Kyungsoo!" An excited baegle hybrid is sat on one of the horrifying pea green sofas with stars in his eyes at the sight of him. He melts inside.

"Jongin, it's nice to see you again," Kyungsoo greets.

"It's you? You're the one that wants to adopt me?" 

"Ah, yeah," he laughs breathily, "if you want."

"I want," Jongin pats the seat beside him, and Kyungsoo perches delicately next to him, The moment his butt touches the cushion Jongin scoots right up next to him. Kyungsoo resists cringing away from the almost intimate contact.

"So Baekhyun told me you have some questions to ask me?" Kyungsoo starts hesitantly. Jongin nods,

"Yeah. They're just simple ones like: where will I sleep if slash or when I move in?"

"Oh. Um, I have a guest bedroom in my flat. It's not big, but I can easily convert it so it's alright for you,"

Jongin's tail wags eagerly and Kyungsoo sees his floppy ears perk up slightly. He resists the urge to pet him again as Jongin enthuses,

"I'm really excited!" The younger male bounces in his seat with barely supressed joy. Kyungsoo can easily spot Jongin's puppy-like tendencies as he slowly relaxes, looking at the human apprehensively. "You're...You're serious, right? You're not going to leave me and say you've changed your mind?" Jongin mumbles shyly, diverting his eyes elsewhere. Kyungsoo frowns,

"No, of course not. What are the rest of your questions?" 

"What sort of things will I have to do?"

"Hm? At home or work?"

"Well, uh, both?"

"Let's see. We can see to the chores delegation when we get to it, and at work, it depends. A lot of my job is paperwork and statistics, so you don't  _have_ to be there for that, but when we get to feild work, you'll need to be a police officer. I mean, like, questioning and looking for clues and....stuff," Kyungsoo finishes. He hasn't really done a good job of describing his career, but Jongin seems to get it.

"I think I understand," Jongin stretches, crossing his wrists above him, and arching his back magnificently. The hem of his longsleeved shirt rises up a few inches, showcasing what has got to be the best physique Kyungsoo has ever seen on a person in real life. He coughs.

"Anything else you want to know?" Kyungsoo asks, keeping his eyes trained on the table in front of him not Jongin. 

"No. I think I'll like living with you," he grins. Kyungsoo gets the feeling that this is his default mode. When he's not sleeping, that is.

"I'm glad," Kyungsoo sighs, "I guess we should do the paperwork, then?"

"Oh, yes. Shall I get Baekhyun?"

"Please." Kyungsoo nods. Jongin jumps to his feet and is out the door in an instant. He no longer doubts his speed, he barely saw him move! Kyungsoo tries not to fidget while he waits for their return, and instead stares at the print on the wall of a generic couple kissing in the rain. His mind is drifting off to thoughts like  _how the hell is he going to manage Jongin all by himself_  when the door swishes open, and Jongin and Baekhyun return. Baekhyun hands him a selection of papers,

"Both of you need to read it- yes, the  _entire_ thing- then sign on the last page, and fill out the relavent information,"

Kyungsoo cracks his knuckles and picks up the first sheet of paper; this kind of information digesting is what he's good at. Jongin, on the other hand, looks dismayed. He flips through each page, reading like a speed demon, and hands each one to Jongin when he's done. Most of it is fairly common sense stuff, like promises to treat Jongin kindly, not neglet him physically or emotionally, provide for him, or in the case where you can't make sure he can provide for himself.

"How can you read so fast?" Jongin mumbles, trailing behind several sheets once Kyungsoo is finished.

"It's part of my job," he explains, refraining from patting the petulant puppy on the head, because that might come off as condescending, and that's the last thing he wants. Jongin takes another ten minutes to finish, and when he does, Kyungsoo holds out the pen so Jongin can sign, already having done so earlier. The hybrid's signature is very loopy, Kyungsoo notes.

"So we just give these to Baekhyun right?" asks Kyungsoo. Jongin shrugs,

"I think so," 

Kyungsoo sighs, then heaves himself to his feet, and stacks the papers neatly and in order, then peeks around the door. Baekhyun isn't out there, of course, he's in his office. Kyungsoo knocks on the door, looking left and right to see if anyone is around. Baekhyun opens the door quickly,

"You done?" 

"Yep," Kyungsoo brandishes the papers in front of him, making Baekhyun lean his head back slightly. He checks through the last page, to make sure everything is in order, then, "Ok, that's good. You can go now, Kyungsoo. Jongin will be delivered to your house the day after tomorrow. And we'll be dropping by to check on you soon after than."  He goes back into his office, but puts his foot in the way before it can close, "you know, you two look good together." He informs him, with a wink directed somewhere above his head. Kyungsoo looks behind him in shock to find Jongin standing over him, looking rather pleased with himself. 

-

Jongin arrives at Kyungsoo's house directly, two days later as promised, his tail wagging eagerly and demanour so bright even the grouchiest person could never bring him down. He bounces on the balls of his feet when Kyungsoo answers the door, and bites his lip to hide his excited smile. They unpack Jongin's luggage together- not much, just a few sets of clothes and necessities like his toothbrush- into his new room, and Kyungsoo shows him around the rest of the house. 

Unashamedly showing off, Kyungsoo cooks dinner for them both, then tells Jongin not to expect this fancy treatment every day. Jongin nods gravely. They get ready for bed at the same time, and it feels weird but not in a bad way, to have someone stood next to him, brishing his teeth at the same time. Lying in bed, Kyungsoo is glad he chose Jongin.

-

On Jongin's first day of work, the next day, he dresses smartly, with a tie and everything, and Kyungsoo has to admit he looks good. He feels a sense of pride over his hybrid's appearance, but instead of telling him that, he makes him tuck his shirt in, and warns him against misbehaving. 

The curious hybrid trails after Kyungsoo on their way to work, and keeps stopping to look at things in shop windows and insists on meeting the pigeons, but they fly away when he gets too close. Kyungsoo consoles him with a promise that one day they'll go out and feed some birds, but it'll be the ducks, because pigeons are gross.

He is still dawdling when they reach the police station, and Kyungsoo is about ready to tear his hair out because it's taking so long and they're already late but Jongin insists on looking at this, oh, oh and checking out that. It's unbelievable, he's lived in this town almost his whole life, surely he's seen these things before? Maybe he's just excited because it's his first trip as an adopted hybrid. 

"Jongin!" Kyungsoo calls, glad that there isn't anyone walking on this street today, otherwise grabbing Jongin by the back of his shirt collar and dragging him forcibly into the building would be pretty embarrassing. Jongin whines pitifully as he's guided inside, past the receptionist who rolls his eyes at the sight of them, and up the stairs to Kyungsoo's work station. 

The room Kyungsoo works in is fairly large, but although there are several desks, since this is a small town, they're very rarely all manned. Today there's him and three others, including another dog hybrid, who Jongin spots immediately. Kyungsoo hopes they can be friends. The moment they enter the room, Kyungsoo having let go of Jongin's collar, the other two police officers stand to greet him, as if they haven't seen him in ages, which is unusual because most days they barely spare him a glance. Then he realises that they're more interested in Jongin than him, so he folds his arms and watches Jongin be coddled and cuddled until he looks uncomfortable.

"Aww, look at him!" The first police officer, Seohyun, says, stroking his ear gently,

"You must have picked the cutest hybrid there!" Soojung agrees. Jongin blushes, and looks to Kyungsoo for help, unaccustomed to this kind of attention. Kyungsoo just smirks at him. This is payback for all the time they wasted on the way here. Next time Jongin might be more considerate. Sparing a look around the office while Jongin is cooed over, Kyungsoo spots the other hybrid, Taemin, who lives with Seohyun, stood to the side, watching speculatively. Kyungsoo wonders what he makes of Jongin, and whether he thinks of him as friend material or competition.

Jongin jumps backwards with a yelp when the two police officers pinch his cheeks, but hits a wall, and this is when Kyungsoo deigns to rescue him, prising him from their grip,

"You can get to know him better later. It's not like today is the only time he'll be here, he lives with me now, so he's going to be here everyday," he explains. 

"I suppose you're right," Soojung concedes, "he really is  _adorable_ though, look at him,"

"Yes, yes, he's cute, I know. Get back to work, Soojung," Kyungsoo waves them away with a tiny hand motion, and holding both of his arms, guides Jongin in the opposite direction towards his own desk.

"Hey! I am your  _superior_!" Seohyun calls after him, so he sends her a mock-innocent grin to appease her. She shakes her head, and rolls her eyes, but they both go back to their desks, along with Taemin. Kyungsoo sits down in his chair, and gestures for Jongin to find one for himself, then cracks his knuckles and picks up some papers to read through, Most of his job is about statistics, whereas Seohyun organises safety for community events and Soojung usually patrols through the town centre. 

Jongin has found a chair that rotates, and is spinning around on it. The movement is distracting and for the first time Kyungsoo wonders if he made a mistake in choosing Jongin over the others. He'd assumed with his sleepy personality he'd nap as soon as they got in here, but no, he seems to be determined to be as annoying as possible today. Kyungsoo looks up to tell him to  _stop_ , but Jongin asks him something before he can even open his mouth,

"Did you mean that?" He sounds bashful, and he's staring at the floor. Kyungsoo frowns,

"Did I mean what?"

"When you, you know, said I was cute," Jongin is hardly opening his mouth, mumbling so quietly Kyungsoo has to lean closer to hear him. 

"U-um. Yeah?"

"Oh," Jongin mumbles, but this time it's with a smile, and goes back to spinning. Kyungsoo sighs, and puts his hand by his face in a failing attempt to block it out and concentrate on doing the job he's paid to do. Thankfully, he'd been at least half right about his prediction, and half an hour later Jongin is snoozing with his head lying against the back of the chair. Unfortunately now he's also snoring. Should he wake him up and have him go back to spinning? Or leave him and let him snore? Ugh, the decisions he has to make.

Luckily for him, Taemin comes to the rescue, and pokes him a few times, until his head lolls to the side. The snoring stops and Kyungsoo looks up at Taemin gratefully,

"Thanks," he smiles,

"No problem," Taemin replies. Now Kyungsoo can actually get on wih some work. Finally.

-

The first day of work lays the foundations of their new routine; Jongin doesn't become any less distractable, or attention seeking, or adorable, and Kyungsoo only manages to get any work done when Jongin is either asleep or on the other side of the room chatting to Taemin. And when they get home, they lounge around and talk, watch tv and occasionally playflight over silly things like the remote.

Kyungsoo wishes Jongin wouldn't climb on top of him to snatch it away, because it does things to him, and stays in his mind for hours afterwards- the feeling of Jongin's warm thighs bracketing his, the view of his face so close up, and his smell. He shares the same shampoo as Kyungsoo now but he still seems to have his own very unique fragrance, and it makes Kyungsoo think of outdoors, even though Jongin rarely goes outside unless with Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo thinks something might be developing and he really wishes it wouldn't, as this is meant to be a professional relationship, and he doesn't know if he can deal with this.

-

Nearly two months have passed since Jongin moved in, Kyungsoo realises with alarm one morning at the police station. How has time flown by so fast? How has he survived living with Jongin and his habit of leaving the door wide open when he showers for two months? He rubs his hand over his face. That had taken a toll on his sanity the first time it had happened. Now he can't shake the image of his body - just as toned as he thought it would be base on that tiny glimpse he's seen back at the adoption centre all that time ago- only this time is was a hundred times worse because each ripple of gentle muscle glistened under the water and his butt. He doesn't want to remember that right now.

Kyungsoo sighs, rolls his shoulders, then gets back to work on his data charts and numbers. He's so immersed in searching through this year's latest results for how crime has decreased in young people in the county that he doesn't notice that Kris, his boss, has been standing in the doorway shouting at everyone until Jongin pokes him.

"Kyungsoo, you and Jongin get down there now, we need someone on the scene to investigate!" Chief Wu orders, before barking some more commands at the other officers then leaving. Kyungsoo looks around confused.

"There's been a fire at that cafe near the theatre," Jongin informs him, speaking softly. Kyungsoo frowns. In such a small town these kind of things don't happen very often. There had been a car accident a few years ago, in which a young driver had died, and the whole town had taken months to recover. 

"And the boss wants us to go down there?" Kyungsoo clarifies, starting to pack up some things he might need, like a notebook and pens, and his car key. Jongin hums. On the way out, he picks up a hat and a reflective jacket for both him and his hybrid, then jogs around to the back of the station, where they keep the police cars. Kyungsoo doesn't have a personal car, and there's only three police cars. Everyone shares use of them when necessary. 

He hops into the car and waits for Jongin to buckle up before pulling out and driving to the scene of the crime. It feels novel to think about it like that, since usually that kind of line is reserved for those silly over the top crime programs on tv that he refuses to watch because they're so outlandish. It's only really traffic cops that have to deal with anything close to what you see on tv. He feels a little guilty for getting excited over this, after all, someone's livelihood has been damaged by this fire.

There's a sizeable crowd gathered as they pull up nearby, and they have to push past them. Kyungsoo tries to politely explain that they're the police, but no one really moves, so Jongin has to use a little force. As they draw nearer to the cafe front, they stand next to the fire engine, and wait for one of the firemen to spare a moment so they can talk to someone. Jongin's nose wrinkles at the strong, pungent smell of the burnt building. If Kyungsoo can smell the smoke this strongly, it's probably painful for him.

Surveying the building, Kyungsoo takes note of the blackened brick wall and the smashed window. It looks like a deliberate fire to him, but he doesn't really know much about arson, only usually dealing with things like shoplifting, or shepherding the local teenagers back home at night times. This is his first time doing an investigation like this for real, but that doesn't mean he isn't going to give it his best shot.

"Who are you?" A harried looking fireman with a prominent nose asks him, looking him up and down.

"I'm Officer Do, and this is my hybrid, Jongin. Chief Wu sent us down here to investigate."

"Right. Well, we still need to have a closer look, but we're about eighty percent sure that this was a case of arson."

"I see. Well, is it alright for us to have a look around?" Kyungsoo asks, wondering if, despite the training, he's even qualified to be here. 

"Give me a minute," the man says, deferring to someone of a higher rank. The head firefighter is a tall, muscular woman with short hair, and she looks very suited to her job. She strides towards them confidently, then with a deep voice she says,

"You can go inside once we've finished clearing up, but in the meantime you should probably talk to the cafe owners, Mr. and Mrs. Hwang. They're over there," she points to the other side of the area, next to the fire engine door, where a sad looking man and woman stand in a comforting embrace. Sighing, he nods at the head firefighter and sets off to talk to the couple, dragging Jongin behind him. He's always hated this part of the job- talking to people who have just had bad news, and having to ask them about the investigation. Or worse, breaking the news himself.

"Hello," Kyungsoo says, to get their attention, "I'm Officer Kyungsoo, and this is my hybrid, Jongin, who is going to be helping me with the investigation of the fire. Is it alright if we ask you a few questions?"

The woman turns around, but doesn't leave her husband's arms. She nods, but her face is blotchy, making it pretty obvious that she's been crying. The man looks pale and tired. Kyungsoo grits his teeth. Starting with the basics, he inquires,

"Have you had any problems with electricty? Or any ornaments that involve heat of strong light?"

"We had a powercut recently, but other than that, no. And not since christmas," Mr. Hwang replies, stressed. 

"Do you know of anyone who might have started this fire intentionally?" It's a risky question, but it has to be asked. Both the Hwangs look shocked, and they share a look that could be suspicious if they weren't so startled.

"No, I can't think of anyone," Mrs. Hwang says,

"Me neither," Mr. Hwang agrees. Kyungsoo nods, and writes this down in his notebook as he goes along.

"There were some kids messing around in the alley between the café and the shoe shop there last night, but I thought I chased them away before they could do anything," Mrs. Hwang says, wrinkles suddenly more pronounce, "oh, what if they came back and set fire to the café? Oh how awful!" She turns back into her husband's chest and begins to cry again. Jongin nudges him from behind, making him jump at the sudden contact, but as he turns around to tell him off, he sees the firefighter- he never asked her name, he realises- walking towards them with intent.

"We've found the origin of the fire: it started around the side of the building, inside a bin. Something in there caught fire, possibly a lit cigarette, and then the fire from that ignited the wooden window frame above it." Kyungsoo and Jongin nod simultaneously, and Mrs. Hwang makes an odd sort of hiccuping sound,

"It must have been those horrible children!" She cries, letting her husband comfort her. He's not surprised she's upset, anyone would be. 

"Do either of you two smoke?" Kyungsoo wonders, writing out all of this information still, pen flying across the paper in an almost illegible scrawl.

"No, neither of us," Mr. Hwang says. 

So, in all likelihood, it was the teenagers who set the fire, but whether it was malicious or not is still in question. Kyungsoo and Jongin don't need to go inside the blackened interior of the café, able to see perfectly well the damage that has been caused by this, and with hopefully all the necessary information already provided by the firefighters.

"Mrs. Hwang, could I ask you to give me a description of the teenagers?"

"Yes. There were four of them, and two of them had their hoods up and the other two had hats. I think one of them was a girl, with medium brown hair. They looked like they were maybe fifteen? Sixteen? One of the boys was a bit taller than the others. Other than that, I can't tell you anything, I didn't really see their faces well enough to describe them, but I might recognise them if I saw them again."

"Hmm. Thank you, you've been very helpful. I recommend that you phone up your insurance company as soon as you can, and see if you can get something sorted out, okay?" Kyungsoo mumbles, scribbling these details down furiously, and feeling like a real policeman. The married couple nod and Jongin and Kyungsoo slowly head back to the car. Kyungsoo is still writing things down as they walk, so Jongin has to make sure he doesn't walk into things. Or people, but luckily most of the crowd has dispersed by now, having realised there really isn't anything to see.

When they're sat in the car, Kyungsoo explains his plans,

"I think we should go and ask some of the other shop owners and people who live around here if they saw anything happening last night, but before that, we should go back to the crime scene and see if you can see or smell anything the firefighters might have missed. Then, we'll go to the high school and talk to the head teacher, describe the kids, he might know who we mean." 

Jongin nods while Kyungsoo talks animately, using his hands to draw in the air as he does so, but cringes when he mentions going back to the burned building. Kyungsoo guesses he probably doesn't like the smell of incinerated brick, but he doesn't really have much of a choice. And Kyungsoo hates speaking to people, so he's already done one thing that he hates today. Jongin only needs to do this and then they'll be even.

He grumbles as they make their way over, but Kyungsoo lets him, patting his shoulder consolingly. The firefighters are almost ready to leave now, but the head firefighter is still talking to the couple. They nod at each other as they pass, then they turn the corner into the alleyway and the smell of ash is almost overwhelming. Jongin coughs.

The walls are black and smoky, on both sides, though only a little on the side further from the bin. The glass in the window is missing, and Kyungsoo spies a few shards of it scattered around on the floor. Kyungsoo looks up at Jongin to see what he makes of this mess. His ears are pressed flat to his head, and his face is screwed up in an expression of disgust. 

"Maybe you should just smell around at either end, to see if you can smell the kids. I don't know how this works," he confesses, shoving his hands in his pockets as Jongin nods and sidles towards the opening of the alley and crouches to the ground. It feels oddly personal to watch Jongin with his nose so close to the ground, so he looks the other way, inspecting the melted mess of the plastic bin. 

"You smell anything?" He calls out, wondering what the world is like for someone who can smell everyone and everything so strongly.

"Not really," Jongin sighs. Kyungsoo hears him stand up, and watches him walk to the other side of the alley, which leads onto a row of terraced housing. The back of the café is one of these, so the Hwangs not only lost their place of business, but probably parts of their home, too. Jongin crouches again, palms flat on the dirty ground. What do teenagers smell like? Kyungsoo has never thought about it before, and he wonders if Jongin even knows what he looking for. Smelling for. Whatever.

Jongin crawls on his hands and knees a little way, making Kyungsoo raise his eyebrows. Jongin's tail stands straight up except for the tip, which points forward. Does that mean he's found something?

"Jongin?"

"I think I smell something. Strong deoderant, like that spray stuff, and...cigarette smoke. This is them, they were definitely here. I'd be able to recognise it again, I'm sure." Jongin mumbles into the ground, sniffing around a bush that acts as a fence to the neighboring garden. They must have brushed past it in their haste to get away.

"Great," 

-

They ask around a few of the nearby houses and ask if they'd seen the four teenagers go by here, but none of them say the've seen anything, or rather, such a lot of young people come through here that they wouldn't be able to say. 

Back at the police station, they report their findings, and eventually after a long discussion agree that he and Jongin should go pay a vist to the local high school. Kyungsoo hadn't wanted to, but since it was him that knew most likely what to look for, and it was his hybrid that would be able to recognise their scent, he was outvoted.

That's why that afternoon, just after lunch, they both find themselves standing in the reception office of the highschool, waiting to be seen by the headmaster. It sends Kyungsoo back to the days he attended this school. He wasn't exactly an exemplary student concerning his grades, but then he'd preferred helping out at school events and being a member of the student council that actually doing the schoolwork, except some of the maths. He liked to help, and he liked data, which he supposes is why he ended up as a policeman.

Jongin on the other hand seems quite excited. He probably hasn't been to a school like this, Kyungsoo muses, as most hybrids are kept separate from humans until they are adopted. Jongin's ears perk up each time someone walks by outside, and he cranes his neck trying to look around. Kyungsoo elbows him to make him sit still.

The door with the bronze plaque with 'S. Park Principal 1998- ' engraved on it opens, and a friendly but stressed looking man leans out and nods for them to come in. They both get up, and follow the headteacher into his office, Kyungsoo feeling absurdly contrite. 

"So, what can I do for you?" Mr. Park asks, placing his hands on the desk in front of him, fingers meshed together. Kyungsoo chokes up, always having had a fear of getting in trouble and sitting on the opposite side of the headteacher feels strangely like a nightmare he had once. Jongin stomps on his foot, snapping him out of it.

"Oh. Um. Sir, we have reason to believe that some of the students at the school were involved with the arson of the Cosmic Cafe." He does his best to stop his voice from trembling, but he thinks it's happening anyway. He curses inwardly. Kyungsoo feels a hand softly touch his knee and his eyes dart to see Jongin watching him, a supportive look in his dark eyes. It's a simple, second-long interaction, but it calms down his nerves somehow. "We have some descriptions here. If you would be so kind as to call any students in here that come to mind that would be great."

Mr. Park nods and Kyungsoo digs into his pocket, retrieving the little notepad where he had written the descriptions given by the Hwangs. He reads them off in a nervous but clear voice, thankful for Jongin's muted support, though that hand on his knee is doing things to his head. Thankfully, Jongin relieves his touch once Kyungsoo is done speaking and the headteacher strokes his beard in thought before nodding to himself. 

"Yes, I believe there are some students here that match those descriptions. They're classic troublemakers here, so I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be them," Mr. Park replies, reaching for his phone. He calls the students up to his office as Jongin and Kyungsoo wait, twiddling their thumbs and internally hoping that this was a lead. One by one, all of the students file into the small office. They match the descriptions that the Hwangs had given.

Kyungsoo explains the situation, watching as the girl froze, slapping one of the guys arms as if to say,  _I told you that was a bad decision!_  Jongin stands up, standing just a few centimeters away from the teens and sniffing them. The kids look a little surprised, but hybrids are awfully common, so Kyungsoo suspects they're just freaked out by one smelling them so closely. 

"It's definitely them," Jongin declares truthfully.

Kyungsoo nods, pulling out his pen and flipping to a clean page in his notepad. "Alright," he starts to use his practiced  _policeman_  voice that is imbued with authority, "someone better start explaining then. I'm sure you all know what happened to Cosmic Café. The owners said that you were outside of the café the night before? Can you tell me what happened?" He looks to each of the teenagers, expecting one of them to step up to the plate.

The girl steps forward and speaks up in a small voice. "W-We didn't mean it! We just panicked with the lady came out and caught us smoking! Jihoon tossed the cigarette into the trash can, and we ran! It was just an accident, officer, I swear!"

"Accident or not, you cost them their business," Kyungsoo replies, eyes focused as he scribbles down her words. "That comes with great consequences. Arson is a Serious Criminal Offense, and depending on the circumstances, can lead to life imprisonment." He informs them. All of them look suitably shocked, and one of the boys looks like he might cry.

"Please don't arrest us! It was an accident!" The girl seems to be the spokesperson of their little group, but she looks close to tears too. Kyungsoo hates to do it, but even though it was an accident, they still have to be charged with arson. 

"I'm arresting you four on suspicion of arson. You do not have to say anything, but anything you do say may be given in evidence. When we get to the police station you'll have your fingerprints taken and mugshots taken. Yes, this will go on your criminal record. We'll be phoning your parents when get there too,"

Keeping up his brusque, no-nonsense policeman persona, he leads them through the main entrance, to the carpark. It seems like it's a lesson change over time, as lots of students are walking around clutching bags and books. They watch them as they pass by, whispering and some call out things like 'finally!'. One of the boys gives them the finger, and Kyungsoo turns a blind eye.  _Kids_.

As they both exit the school, four children in tow, Kyungsoo looks to Jongin, who looks as if he's trying to supress a smile from forming on his lips. The policeman grins, slinging an arm over the hybrid's shoulder. "Smile. We just wrapped up our first little case." He watches as Jongin's lips spread eagerly, smiling in a cute way that crinkles his eyes and raises his cheeks. As they all climb into the police car they've been driving around most of the day (the front and back parts are split up so the kids can't hear them), Kyungsoo continues to shower him in compliments, knowing Jongin wants them and has been waiting for them. "We couldn't have done it without you, you know," he adds, turning the key in the ignition as Jongin buckles his seatbelt. 

"Um, Kyungsoo," Jongin starts, the wide grin on his face having morphed into a timid little smile and his cheeks tinged with pink, "was I...was I a good boy?" He fidgets, knowing it is a weird thing to ask. But he's always imagined his owner (or partner in this case) saying it to him since he was a pup. It's childish, but he wants to hear it, just this once.

Kyungsoo is surprised initially, but he connects the request to Jongin being a dog hybrid, and suddenly it isn't strange at all. With a smile, he reaches over with a hand, ruffling Jongin's curly hair. "Definitely.  _Such_ a good boy," he murmurs, his heart beating slowly in his chest as Jongin's features light up and his tail thumps against the seat. 

-

Kyungsoo feels a little proud over the course of the next week, but his understated pride is  _nothing_  compared to Jongin's excitement. The policeman catches every time Jongin's tail wags eagerly with the words of praise he receives from the other cops, and he jumps practically a foot into the air when Chief Wu congratulates them in cracking their first case together. It isn't annoying to Kyungsoo though. He finds it charming, and he can't help but give a smile. It was Jongin's first time, the pup is probably the happiest he's ever been.

He continuously thinks back to the moment with Jongin in the car after they'd caught those teenagers and it makes his heart beat to an uneven tempo and an odd flush of something warm to his chest. Kyungsoo finds himself distracted from work, Jongin constantly calling him out of his thoughts. Kyungsoo usually isn't one to not be focused on a task, especially work of all things. Being near him only makes it worse as the hybrid becomes comfortable enough around him to initiate deliberate skinship, leaning against Kyungsoo when he tires out, holding Kyungsoo's hand when the cop doesn't feel like socializing but has to, etc. It's not like Kyungsoo minds, but he's not sure if his heart can take anymore. He begins to recognise the signs for what they are, but refuses to believe it's possible. It can't be.

Fuck.

He's not even sure if officers are allowed to have those kinds of relations with their hybrids. Kyungsoo doesn't want to lose his job. He finds himself at a crossroads in decision-making. What if the affection Jongin displays is just platonic? What if he doesn't even remotely feel the same way? The worries pile on until he decides to shove them into the farthest corner of his mind and just plays along with what he and Jongin have got going on. Kyungsoo gives into the touches, the gazes, the borderline flirtatious words, and gives them right back. When he gets tired during work and feels like dozing off, he rolls his chair next to Jongin's and leans against his shoulder, enjoying the little hum the hybrid lets out in acceptance. He likes it, but he can't help but feel like there's something on his chest, something they both need to say but can't.

-

It's been five months since Jongin and Kyungsoo first met, three months since they closed up their first case, and the two find themselves stuck at home on a rainy Saturday, one of the few days Kyungsoo has off. It's just drizzling, along with that grey, cloudy feeling that makes Kyungsoo want to curl up on the couch and watch T.V. all day. He knows it won't last though. The news informs him that the weather will take a turn for the worse later on. They warn of blackouts, heavy rain, thunder and lightning, the worst. Kyungsoo doesn't mind the rain though. He likes this sort of dreary weather. Well, as long as he isn't standing outside in it.

He can't say the same for Jongin, however, especially when he's awakened at the ungodly hour of 2 AM with Jongin trembling in the doorway of his room and softly calling out his name. It's dark and the ceiling fan isn't on, so Kyungsoo figures the power probably went out. He rubs his eyes and sits up as Jongin makes his way over.

"What's...What's wrong?" Kyungsoo mumbles, voice low with sleep. His eyelids are heavy and he desperately wants to fall back asleep, but something seems off.

"I-I'm scared. The thunder, I..." Jongin shakes his head and grips his pillow in his arms, "I don't like it. I don't like loud sounds and the lightning is scary."

Kyungsoo drowsily looks toward his window, just seeing the pitter of rain against the window pane. "What lightning?" he asks just before a flash illuminates the room followed by a loud, rolling boom that shakes the apartment with its echo. He's surprised it hadn't woken him up.

Wordlessly, Kyungsoo shimmies to the other side of the bed, flipping open the duvet. "C'mon, you can sleep with me," he invites, watching as Jongin doesn't waste a single second before climbing beneath the covers with him. Kyungsoo gets up to yank the curtains over the window, hoping to block out the lightning. It works for the most part, the only problem being the thunder that makes itself known every few minutes. It causes Jongin to jump and whimper almost inaudibly, clinging to his pillow and burying his face in it. His tail flattens against his bottom as his droopy ears fold against his head and he squints his eyes shut. 

It's absolutely pitiful and Kyungsoo can't fall asleep with Jongin like he is. He hums softly, moving to gently lay a hand on Jongin's head, petting him gently and running his fingers through his messy hair in what he hopes to be a soothing motion. The hybrid lets out a tiny whine, twisting his body to face Kyungsoo, their eyes meeting in the darkness. The thunder sounds once more, and suddenly Jongin is clinging to the older man, arms wrapped around his torso and face buried in his chest. 

Kyungsoo is shocked for a moment, unsure of how to react as his heart races beneath his ribcage. He knows this is what Jongin needs, so he relents and embraces the hybrid. He feels him sigh and then a nose is nudging at his collarbone. Kyungsoo takes that as a desperate signal to be comforted and his hand returns to petting the back of Jongin's head, smoothing out the tangles there. Jongin trembles a bit longer in his embrace before Kyungsoo feels him slowly drift off to sleep, and only then does he crane his neck down to kiss the top of the hybrid's head, wondering what it would feel like to fall asleep like this every night.

-

It happens by accident. Its a slow day at the station, and Jongin is snuggled into Kyungsoo's side, much to his embarrassment, and the delight of Soojung and Seohyun, though Taemin doesn't seem to care. Kyungsoo flushes, and glares at the two women when they take pictures of both of them, but Kyungsoo cant move, or else he risks waking up Jongin by accident, and a whiny, sleepy Jongin is certainly more than his poor heart can handle.

He knows for sure now: ever since that night when Jongin slept in his bed, he's been sure that he's in love with Jongin. 

Having already accepted that fact, and that it's not likely to change any time soon, Kyungsoo tries to get on with a bit more work, but he can't really see the numbers from back here, with Jongin leaning against him. Instead of fretting, like he might have done just a few months ago, he decides to make the most of it, and lets his arm hang loosely over Jongin's shoulders, even after all the others have gone for their break.

Jongin squirms, burrowing into Kyungsoo's chest and making him feel all kinds of warm inside: both flattered that Jongin is comfortable enough with him to sleep on him like this, and ever so slightly turned on, especially with the one hand that's fallen onto his lap, barely two inches away from his vitals. Jongin squirms again,

"Mmm, Kyungsoo....Love you..." He sighs, his breath warming his clothes and his words warming his heart/soul. Did Jongin just say he loved him? He can't have done, that's stupid, he probably meant that as a friend. That's the only thing he can think of. Jongin squirms again, then wriggles closer, until his face is so close Kyungsoo can feel his breath. Jongin is awake, he's sure, his eyes are open and he sleeps with his eyes closed. Is he sleepwalking? Jongin inches closer, but Kyungsoo doesn't know what to do, so he leans back just a tiny bit, his eyes flicking down to glance at Jongin's lips.

He wishes he hadn't done that, now all he'll be able to think of is Jongin's mouth, and how they would feel against his. But he doesn't have to wonder any more, because a moment later, Jongin is pressing his plush lips against Kyungsoo's, and moving them ever so gently. This takes Kyungsoo a moment to recover from, and when he does, he releases a mortifyingly high pitched sound.

Jongin's eyes widen, and he jerks back violently. He lands on the floor with a nasty sounding bump, and blushes profusely, stuttering out half words and unfinished sentences. 

"I'm sorry, oh no, I didn't- I didn't mean-Kyungsoo! I'm so sorry, I-I thought it was another dream! Kyungsoo-" Jongin is starting to babble, so Kyungsoo cuts him off with the first thing that he can think of to say,

"You dream about...that? With  _me?_ " He's almost too scared to ask, what if he didn't mean that? This is too good to be true. There's got to be some kind of catch. 

"I-" Jongin chokes on his own words, and hides his face behind his hands, curling into a ball. Kyungsoo takes that as a yes. What else could it be? He's not denying anything, and he looks so embarrassed it's adorable. If he weren't so shocked by the recent revelations, he'd probably be cooing over him, and teasing him to make him blush even harder. 

They sit like that for a little longer, Jongin hiding and Kyungsoo simply processing. It occurs to him that Jongin probably isn't going to do anything without encouragement, so he reaches down, hesitating momentarily, to touch his shoulder or something to get his attention. When his fingers make contact with the fabric on Jongin's shoulder, he seems to jump almost a foot in the air, and covers his mouth before looking up at Kyungsoo with wide teary eyes.

"I'm sorry!" He exclaims, "Please don't send me away," 

"I'm not going to send you away, silly," He reaches down to pet Jongin's hair, paying special attention to the area around the base of his ears, which are laying flat against his head, and almost concealed by his hair. Jongin blinks up at him, confused.

"You're not?" He whispers, his words muffled by the hand still covering his face. Kyungsoo notices his ears perk up a little bit, barely perceptible, and his tail twitches too.

"No: why would I do that when I feel the same way about you?" He says, quietly to soften the blow. He watchs as the wheels in Jongin head turn, fully coming to understand what he just said. He smiles as Jongin's eyes light up when he gets it, and then he smiles so broadly Kyungsooo almost feels the urge to cover his eyes from his blinding beauty.

"Really?" His voice cracks,

"Yeah," He looks down fondly on his beagle hybrid, the one he'd chosen out of all of the others- it wasn't really a choice, if he's honest with himself, from the moment he'd seen Jongin, he'd known on some level that he needed to see him again, whether that be him just visiting again, or adoption. Adopting Jongin was the best decision he's ever made. Even though he doesn't do that much to help him with work- maybe in a larger town or a city he'd be more useful, he hadn't realised how lonely he'd been at home. 

It was the kind of loneliness you don't notice until you realise exactly how much you've been missing out on, and Kyungsoo had been missing out on a lot. 

He takes Jongin's hand in his and slowly pulls him upright, then tugs him closer so he lands on Kyungsoo's lap, sitting sideways. Kyungsoo can tell he's a bit embarrassed by this, and so is he, really, but he likes it. And he hopes Jongin does too. He snakes his arms around Jongin's waist, and lets them rest there loosely, then rests his cheek on his arm.

"I thought you were just being affectionate because you were a dog hybrid. I've heard about dog hybrids being cuddly and close with their owners, so I just. I assumed," Kyungsoo speaks into Jongin's arm. He frowns, wriggling in his lap so he's more comfortable (all the while causing more pain for Kyungsoo, but he doesn't complain).

"No, I'd never be that, uh,  _clingy_ to someone I didn't. Well.  _Like_ ," He confesses, reddening in the face all over again. Kyungsoo feels a surge of something, confidence perhaps, that makes him slide his fingers into the hair at the nape of Jongin's neck, and tenderly bring him down so he can kiss him. This time round it's much better, because for one thing, Kyungsoo is expecting it, and can react accordingly, and for another, Jongin is much more enthusiastic about it this time. While it's obvious that Jongin has no real experience kissing, and Kyungsoo only has a very little, Jongin feels good against him, soft, warm and slick. 

Jongin's arms sneak up and around Kyungsoo's shoulders, so that his body is twisted in a way that must surely be uncomfortable for him. He's about to suggest that he switch position so that he's straddling his lap, but right at that very mooment, inconviniently, the door clicks open and Seohyun and Soojung walk in. The moment they see them, their mouths hang agape. Kyungsoo can see Soojung reaching for her phone, most likely to take more photos, so Kyungsoo firmly pushes Jongin off his lap and onto the chair next to him.

He wonders what he looks like. Probably just red. Jongin is flushed too, and still a little teary eyed, and his lips are like cherries. Kyungsoo likes it. Well, not the crying part, but the rest of it. He wouldn't mind seeing that again. And he certainly wouldn't mind doing that again, though maybe in a more private location. Like his bedroom. Hm, maybe Jongin can sleep in his bed soon.

**Author's Note:**

> leave kudos and comments! thank you :>


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